Amusement apparatus.



No. 881,505. PATBNTED MAR. '10, 190B.

.w. H. VANCE. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

em 0 9 .1 0 1 R. A M D E m. T A P.

H "U N A V H W AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. 1906. i

. 2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

WlLLlAM ,H. VANCE, OF DENVER', COLORADO.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

To all whom it may cmtcernf Be it known that. i. ll 11.1mm ll. \Axcn. a citizen of the l nlted States. residing at the city and county of Denver and State of olorado, have inventpd certain new and useful improvements and 1* do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany? mg drawmgs,and to the letters and iigures'of l reference marked thereon, hich form a part of this specification. p

My invention relates to improvementsin amusement apparatus of -the classuisually termed merr v-go-round. my [object being to provide an in'lproved construction of this class possessing certain novel features of const ruction and function, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accent! partying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. i

in this drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improvedapparatus showing the central platform partly broken away and partly in section to disclose an operating rat het below. Fig. 2 is a detail view illus' tratmg the ointed. sweep constmletlon, the

parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section taken-,tl'iro'ngh the apparatus, the parts beingshownpartly in elevation. Fig ,4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the ratchet gear and pawl construction, theparts being shown'on a scale somewhat larger than in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of one of the vehicles'elm ployed in connection with the apparatus shown on a larger scale'than in Fig. 1. Fig. (3 is a cross section taken on the line 66 Fig. 5.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in allthe views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a central stationary support provided with a stationary bearing member 6 having a circular groove in its upper surface forming a half ball-race for bearing balls 7 which are engaged from the under surface of a wheel 9 which is provided at its outer teeth 10. slightly nearer equipped with a bevel gearlz which meshes with a bevel pinion 13 fast on adriving shaft 14 journaled in suitable stationary supports eriphery with ratchet To the under surface of the wheel the center, the latter is.

j shaft-.14 is provided at in Amusement Apparatusz' cap through which 39. ithe uppermost eye and which separates the above by a bearingmember 8 made fast-to i surrounds the brake sleeve.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 10, 1908. Application filed July 16, 1906. Serial No. 326,319.

' l5. 'lhe gear 12 is provided with an inward extension 12" forming a wearing plate which engages track wheels 16 which give an antifrictional support to the gear wheel 9. The

with a pulle; 17 which may be connected with any suitable power for operating the ratchet wheel. (enrrally secured to the base 5, is a hollow upright shaft 18 which is sur rounded by a loose sleeve 19 whose lower extremity is outwardly flared as shown at 20 to engage a circular brake block 21 made fastto the upper surface of the wheel 9. The sleeve 19 is provided with'a loosely fitting tren'iity ofa rod 6] to which is applied a. nut

-22 whereby the rod is connected with a cap.

Between the cap and the hollow shaft 18 is located a coil spring 23 the tendency of which is to support the cap whereby the brake sleeve is relieved from pressure from above when" the-brake is not applied. The rod 61 passes downwardly. from the cap through the hollow shaft and ;is connected below the gear 9 asshown at 24 withorie arm of a bell crank 1e ver 25., This lever is fulerumed at 26 and its other arm is connected at 27'wit-h an operating, rod whose extremity remote from thebellcrankfls connected shown at 2.) with an o[')erating lever 30 fulcrumed at 31 and provided with a locking device 32 coop'erating with a quadrant 33.

At a suitable distance from the wheel 9 is located a circular platform 34 surrounding the wheel 9 and forming an umlulating track for vehicles .35 which are connected by means of sweeps 36 with the brake sleeve It). The innenextremity of each sweep is provided with an eye or circular bearing 37 which surrounds and loosely engages the brake sleeve passes the upper it its outer extremity 9. -As shown in the drawing there are three I sweeps and conse'q uent ly three sweep eyes 37, The lower of these eyes is loea'ted directly above a shoulder 38 formedon the lower extremity of the brake sleeve. The eyes of the respective sweeps are separated: by washers There is a similar washer located above said eye from a platform 40 which also loosely This platform is provided with depending parts 41 which lie within the: path ofthe sweepsand prevent the vehicles from colliding with (Zach other. i

Each sweep is connected with the wheel!) bymea'ns of a spring-actuated pawl 42. This it by virtue of the engagement of the straight as to prevent this result, since before one colliding.

pawl is mounted in a casing 43 secured to the lower surface of the sweep. Within this casing is located a spring- L4 which acts on the pawl and normally thrusts the beveled extremity of the latter outwardly to engagement with the teeth 10 of the ratchet wheel.

When the apparatus is in operation, the ratchet wheel is rotated in the direction indieated by the arrow in Fig. 4, whereby the ratchet wheel carries the sweeps along with oilsets of the ratchet teeth with the pawls of the sweeps. However, by virtue of the undulatory construction of the vehicle track, it happens that the vehicle when moving downwardly on one of the inclined partsof the track, may acquire a speed greater than the speed of the ratchet wheel. In this eventthe sweep together with the vehicle runs ahead of the ratchet wheel so to speak and the pawl 42 slips over the teeth of the ratchet. When this occurs it may happen that one of the vehicles would have a tendency to come in contact with another, but the depending parts ll of the platform 40 are so arranged vehicle could collide with another, its sweep would strike a projection 41 and interfere with its movement sufficiently to prevent a collision. In other words the depending projections 41 of the platformAO are so arranged as to prevent any two vehicles from The sweeps 36 are composed of two members 36 and 36 pivotally connected at 45. The member 36 has a pin 46 passing through a slot 47 formed in the member 36 whereby the movement is limited. This jointed sweep oonstruction'is important in view of the undulating condition of the track necessitating a certain degree of movement of one sweep member upon the other. Furthermore the outer extremity of each sweep is provided with a sleeve 48 adjustable longitudinally thereon by means of nuts threaded on the sweep and engaging the extremities of the sleeve: This sleeve body 48 is provided with a sleeve 49 extending at right angles to the member 48, and surrounding the-reach 50 of the vehicle. The sleeve member 49 is free to turn on the reach, thus giving the sweep su'l'licicnt movement with reference to the vehicle, for all practical purposes.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved apparatus will be readily understood. Power being applied to l the shaft 14, the wheel 9 is rotated through the instrumentality of the gears 13 and 12, the said wheel turning around the central l hollow shaft 18 which maintains the gear in l operative relation with the other parts. The i rotation of the wheel 9, imparts a swinging l movement to the sweeps and engagement of the ratchet teeth with the pawls of the sweep: f In this way the vehicles a e caused to travel i sensors around the undulatory circular track. This track is highest at its outer edge and slopes downwardly at a suitable inclination (sw- Fig. 4), whereby the centrifugal force inci dent to the travel of the vchiclcs is practically neutralized or ovcrcomc.

In further explanation of the uclion ol the brake mechanism, attention is cullcd to ihc fact that this mechanism acts only lo check the speed of the o cratii'ig whccl l). in other words when it is dl sircd to stop the mnchinc, by ap lying the brake whcrcby thc cup (H1 is force downwardly upon the slccvc H), the outwardly flared extrcmity 20 of the slccvc .is forced tightly against the shoe 2] of the wheel 9 thus having a tendency to stop the wheel.

It will be understood that the cup is locked against rotation by virtue of its connection with the bell crank lever 25 by the rod (31..

This brake mechanism docs not directly af-,

feet the speed of the vehicles except so far as the stopping of the operating wheel has this tendency. After the opera ting wheel 9 ceases to rotate, the vehicles are at liberty to continue their movement by virtue of their acquired speed or momentum and will continue to move until the friction of the parls sto s them.

. aving thus described my invention, whut I claim is:

1. In amusement apparatus, lhc coinbinu tion of an operating whccl provided with ratchet teeth, a central shaft, vchiclc swccps connected with the central shall indcpcndently of each other, each swccp having a ratchet and pawl connection with said whccl whereby the sweeps are propcllcd. by thc iotation of the wheel, all of thc swoops being connected. with the wheel and free lo truvcl 'laster than the Wheel and indcpcndcmlv of nation of an operating wheel, vehicle sweeps A mounted to swing indcpcmlcnlly of ihe wheel and independently of each other, a pawl and ratchet connection botwccn lhc sweeps and the wheel, means for opcrnting the wheel, and a platform mounted :ibovc the wheel and .rovidcd with dcpcnding projections locatcdhn the path of the swoops for the purpose set forth.

4. In amusement apparatus, the combination of an op rating whccl, an mululatory track surrounding the wheel, vehicles mounted to travel on said track, sweeps connected with the vehicles at one extremity, the said sweeps being mounted to swing from the axis of the wheel as a center, connection between the sweeps and i the wheel whereby the rotation of the wheel actuates the sweeps, the latter, however, being free to move independently of each other and independently of the wheel to permit a s eed of travel, faster than the travel of the wheel.-

5. In amusement apparatus, the combi-. nation with an operating wheel, an undulat ory trncksurrounding the wheel, vehicles mounted on the track, sweepsmounted to swing from the axis of the wheel as a center, their outer extremities bein'g connected-with the respective vehicles, each sweep being composed of two jointed members, and an o erative connection between the sweep and tie wheel, the sweeps being mounted to travel independently of each other, and suitable connections between the sweeps and the wheel wherebythe latter'actuates the sweeps 25 while the latter are free. to travel independently of the wheel in the direction of the wheels travel, to permit the sweeps tot-ravel at a greater speer than that'of the wheel.

6. In amusementapparatus, the combination of an operating wheel, sweeps actuated from the wheel, a central stationary shaft around which the wheel rotates, a brake sleeve surrounding the shaft and whose lower extrenntv 1s outwardly flared to engage a brake shoe formed on the who/cha cap loosely mounted on the brake sleeve,'a

rod connectett'in operative relation with the cap and passing downwardly through the shaft which is open for the purpose, a bell crank lever .with which one arm of the vertically disposed rod is connected, a second brake sleeve rod connected'with the other arm of the lever, and an operating lever connected with the last named rod for braking purposes.

7. In amusement apparatus, the combination of an operating wheel, sweeps ac- .tuntcd from the wheel,a central stationary shalt around which the wheel rotates, a brnhe sleeve surrounding the shaft and and an operative whose lower extremity is outwardly flared to engage a brake .shoe formed on the whe'cha' cap loosely mounted on the brake sleeve, and means acting on thgrcap to force the downwardly against the'brake hoe.

8. In amusement apparatus, thecombination of tin-operating wheel an undulatory track surrounding the wheel, and a plurality of vehicles actuated bv the wheel and 'mo'iinted to travel on the said track, the

vehicles being arranged to move on the track independently of each other and at varying speeds.

9. In amusement apparatus, the combination of a circular undulatory track, vchicles mounted to travel on the said track, and means centrally located and surrounded by the track for propelling the vehicles thereon, the'latter being arranges to move spective vehicles with the operating device whereby the vehiclcsarc made 'to travel around the track,thc sweeps beingjointcd to allow the. vehicles to change their elevation to conform to the. surface of the track, the

swee s being also connect-ed with the operatlfi evice" tttt'i avel independently oi each other and at.vary1ng speeds.

I 12. The combination of an undularory track, vehicles mounted thereon, a centrally located. operating wheel, sweeps connected with the vehicles, a ratchet and pawl connection, between eachsweep and the wheel whereby the vehicles are allowed to continue their movement after the operating wheel has ceased to move, the sweeps being mount .ed independently'of each other, substantially as described.

lntestnnony whereof I allrx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Wit ncsscs:

DEN NELSON. At-JI. UBnnzn. 

